Ice-cream and Happiness
by Crystabel.Shalott
Summary: In a hot summer day, Finnick convinces Annie to go out and eat an ice-cream. Modern day/AU


**Author's note: **Requested by Odestalovebaby: Finnick and Annie going out for an ice-cream.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 'The Hunger Games', they belong to Suzanne Collins.

Ice-cream and Happiness:

A dome of thick, sultry air had covered Panem in the last few days. It was the hottest summer in years and nothing helped: not the fans, not the continuous ice-cold showers, not the liters and liters of water. The sweat just continued to drop. And it was all becoming unbearable. Because of it Finnick and Annie were both restless and impatient, they continued to quarrel about the smallest and most insignificant things: a book out of its place, an untidy bedroom, something just left around. The heat also made it impossible for them to stay close, because it was just too hot to bear the presence of another person. This was another part of the great problem. Finnick and Annie were two people who stayed close each other, they hold hands often, more than often: when they went out for a walk, when they were sitting on the old couch in the living room. And they always went to sleep cuddling. It was something natural for them, something unconscious: maybe it was a mutual fear that they would be alone again, that the other would just disappear or leaving without a word, that all of their happiness was just a dream. Both of them had their scars: Finnick grew up in a family that didn't really care for him, and he always tried a lot of things to get their love, their attention even for just a little while. On the other hand Annie had heard a lot of times that she was nothing worth, that no one would ever really like her. People ignored her, pushed her in a corner and she begun to see herself like that: like someone who wasn't worth anything. It took some time to start believing the opposite, and when she met Finnick he helped her coming out of the whirl of destructive thoughts. Finnick called her back when she needed it.

Finnick couldn't stand it anymore. He had to find a distraction, something to clear his mind, something that would turn his thoughts away from the heat, something he could do with Annie. He had an important question to make her. He wanted to do it a few days ago, but then the heat wave came and he didn't find the perfect occasion. They stopped taking their evening walk, they stopped going out period. And making a nice dinner was out of question too, with this heat the appetite wasn't really much. Therefore the right occasion never came, but now a thought appeared in his mind. There was this one thing he and Annie could do, it would have worked (not that there were many other alternatives). The only problem was convincing Annie to go out with him. Not only it meant swimming in a pool of sweat, but also early this morning they quarreled for the infinitesimal time. But he had to try it out.

He left his study and walked to the living room, where he found her sitting on the sofa reading.

"Annie?"

"Yes?"

She looked up from the book. And he smiled as he noticed that it was the first present he ever made her: his copy of 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky. It was a book that underlined, between other things, the importance of letting other people come into one's life, the importance of friendship. When they first met, Annie was so insecure about herself and she distrusted people completely. He didn't know why and she opened her heart only afterwards but, since the moment in which he first saw her, he wanted to be part of Annie's life so he gave her that book. On the first page he added a note: "You is kind. You is smart. **You is important**" (quoting 'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett) adding a "never forget that". He wanted to show her that he wasn't just joking when he said that he liked her, that there was no risk in letting him in her life because he didn't want to hurt her, that she was an amazing person even if she was not sure about it, that she was important.

"We are going out"

She crinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes before she let out the answer. "You are mad!"

"Nope. We are going out"

"No way, I am not going to leave this spot. Not even for an enormous amount of money"

"Come on! Why don't you want to go?"

"Because it's too hot. I don't know if you have noticed it or not"

"Trust me Annie I have"

"Then why do you want to go out?"

"Because" he couldn't tell her the real reason, that had to be a surprise. It was not what he wanted it to be but it was better than nothing "I crave for an ice-cream"

"But it's too hot! I might melt before we even reach the door"

"Doesn't matter"

"Finn..."

"Just put a pair of shorts on so we can go"

She looks at him standing there just in a pair of boxers, at least she wears a tank top over her underwear. Really between them both it was definitely Finnick the one who had to put something on before leaving the house.

"What? With you in your underwear?"

"Why?" He strikes a ridicule provocative pose "Do you find this distracting?"

"Yes. As much as other girls"

And it was something she did hate indeed, girls that sometimes begun to flirt with him. She was not possessive over Finnick, for god sake, she knew where his feeling lied. What she didn't like was that those people only cared about Finnick's exterior and that they completely ignored her. Finnick always pointed out that he was already with someone, that as they could see he hold someone's hand, but they didn't stop. And them ignoring her only bought her back in time, when people told her that she was a no one, called her awkward Annie. Because back then all this degenerated, run out of hand, and she begun to law-estimate herself, believing what they were saying about her and then the voices started.

_You are not good enough._

_It would be better to disappear._

_They are only messing up with you._

This was what she heard most in her head. She become introverted, insecure, too shy, afraid of people and with serious trust issues. She distanced herself from the world. So at the end of high-school, Annie Cresta was a complete different version of herself, and not in a better way. It took time to get better, and then Finnick came into her life. And he was wonderful, in as much as outside, and she didn't trust him. Because Finnick was befriended to the so-called 'Careers' a group of beautiful, privileged girls and boys that went to her same university. What could he possible want from her? So the voices started again but this time it was actually Finnick who helped her to stop them, by standing at her side and encouraging her, by showing her that he was not joking when he said that he really liked her. Then they become more than friends. Then they moved in together and here they were today, after five years.

"I'll put something on, I promise. But please can we go out for an ice-cream? I know you want one too"

"Not really, no."

"Then I'll just stand here, staring at you, waiting for you to accept my offer"

The staring. That was another thing she hated. It made her feel nervous. And he knew that. At the same time she didn't want Finnick to win this argument so she tried to resume her reading. She managed to read a few pages before she gave up. And beside all this talking of ice-cream actually made her want to eat one.

"You win" she stated with a sigh "But if I die on my way to the ice-cream shop, it'll be your fault and then you'll have to deal with it for the rest of your life"

"Why do you have to be always so melodramatic. You will not die Annie, and I can always save your you, I know how to do CPR"

"You would save me?" she asked hesitantly.

Finnick begun to wonder if she wasn't rereading the book as a reminder, if she wasn't in one of her bad days when she begun to doubt everything and everyone. When she isolated herself from the world, fearing to get hurt, not letting everyone in. Or maybe it was because they quarreled much in the last couple of days.

"Always. My love you have my heart for all eternity, and I will not let you leave me. I need you too much"

"I need you too"

"Well it's fair enough". He smiled at her.

"Give me two minutes and I'll be ready. But Finn please cover up".

...

There were several ice-cream shops near their house, but the best one was definitely Vegani's. The staff was always kind, and the assortment of flavors was very vast. It was also a point of meeting for people of all ages, and since it had been there for decades kids grew up eating ice-cream at Vegani's. By the time they arrived there, they were both covered in sweat and Annie had already begun to wonder whether it had been the right idea. She felt all sticky and her hair was glued to her skin despite the pony tail they were put in. But now it was too late, was it?

"Do you know already what to take?"

"Yes, the usual"

Which was melon and blueberry. It had been her favorite since she was twelve. And despite the fact that sometimes she did try other flavors, nothing replaced it.

Finnick on the other hand continued to mix random flavors choosing always the sweetest and the most colored one. She was often bewildered how he could do something like this but then she always remembered herself that Finnick used to eat sugar cubes for no clear reason. Just like that, he put raw sugar in his mouth. She could never have done that, it would have only made her sick.

After they were served, they went to the outside to sit on a wooden bench placed under a tree so they had some protection from the sun.

"Annie can I try yours? You can try mine!"

She looked at the cornet Finnick was holding, filled with pink and light blue ice-cream and begun to shake her head violently.

"No. I will not let you do this for two reasons: one the last time we did it my ice-cream tasted like toothpaste because you already ate yours, two it's gross you eating directly from my ice"

"Annie, we..."

"No, it's gross. Next time you can order melon and blueberry yourself!"

They enjoyed the moment, sitting there in silence tasting the fresh cream that was a nice remedy against summer heat.

"It is actually a nice thing. Going out for a moment" said Annie smiling when she finished her ice-cream.

"I am always right you know. Still, there is something I wanted to ask you"

This was the moment, the right moment.

"Do tell me. I am all ears"

"Annie, will you marry me?"

She gasped and her eyes widened for surprise. She never expected this. Not that she didn't want it, to the contrary she wanted to bring on the subject sooner or later, but she never thought that Finnick would have done it first. And she was bewildered that he would have done it in these days when they argued the most.

"Like for real?"

There it was again, the insecurity in her voice. As if she was not a hundred percent certain that Finnick could have been really serious about this matter. Because living together was one thing and marrying another.

"Yes, for real. Annie, we have known each other for five years now, and every day I love you more than before. So do you want to marry me?"

"Yes, oh yes" she says with her voice transpiring all her happiness.

"Like for real?"

"Don't make fun of me Finn"

"No, I mean I know it's not the perfect moment to ask, and I wasn't sure since the last days have been pretty though and..."

"Finn the last days compared to the period when we first met is really a nothing. And this" she pointed at her, him and Vegani's "is the most perfect place you could have chosen. I don't care if it's not planned in the last detail, life rarely is. I don't know what to say but yes, oh yes I will marry you"

"Annie Odair... It sound marvelous, as if it was always meant to be. I love you so much"

"Me too. But Finnick?"

"Yes?"

"Couldn't you have said it before I started to eat my ice-cream?"

"Why?"

"Because now if I kiss you the flavors will mix again and who knows what sort of disgusting mix it'll be, and I it would require a physical contact. If I were to touch you know, we would be glued together"

Finnick begun to laugh, knowing that it was meant to be a joke. "Annie, I don't care about it"

"But I do" she replied matter of factly.

She stood up, ready to walk away but Finnick grabbed her hand gently and pulled her back on the bench. He cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips on hers, disclosing them softly. When they parted Annie looked at him smiling and then made a disgusted face.

"Bleah. It's even worse than children's toothpaste! What have you eaten?"

"I don't know, something with bright colors and very sweet. It was actually tasty"

She shrugged as if to say 'If you say so', and then she turned towards him, a bright smile on her face "Finnick, I will be honored to be your wife"

"Well, I'm the luckiest man on earth then"

"We should go home you know. Before we get a sunstroke"

"Just another couple of minutes, please."

Despite the heat and Annie's protests, he didn't let go of her hand as they sit there. He always planned of never letting her hand go, but now that she officially accepted to become his wife, he was even more motivated.

They sat there in silence just smiling and sometimes sharing a kiss, even if the original plan was to get right back home. The heat somehow became insignificant compared to what they were feeling. And If someone would have passed in that moment in front of them he would have seen two people, and without knowing anything about them - their plans, their dreams, their scars and their fears - he would have noticed how radiant they both were. It was just those two, as if the rest of the world didn't matter or existed. And even without knowing their names, there was something obvious in the picture, something that would have made that person smile as he passed by: they were in love. A love so genuine and true that it made you feel confident about life, about the fact that wonderful things did happen and that true happiness did exist.


End file.
